Different Name, Same Fate
by Thalassa Promise
Summary: The Keyblade War is already beginning. When, in the middle of a skirmish, Roxas and Ventus switch places, what will become of these forces? How will Roxas fare in company with those who would halt his progress in building Kingdom Hearts? How will Ventus hide among the neutral but ever-hostile presence of the Organization? And what will this mean for the fate of the worlds?
1. Where We Stand

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead! It's time to get up!"

Lazily, Ventus opened one eye, and then the other. Everything was groggy at first, but he could make out the ceiling, and the blob of blue hair in front of him. He smiled broadly and stretched, groaning tiredly as he did so.

There was a laugh.

"I don't see how you can be so tired after all this time!" Aqua giggled as she came clearly into view. "Haven't you slept enough?"

Ven laughed quietly as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head and trying to get his mess of blonde hair to not be quite as spiky and unruly as it usually was. He looked around the now-familiar room, with its brown-orange walls and strange ornaments sitting on every desk, filled-to-the-brim bookcase, and table. Someday he would ask Master Yen Sid what those things were, but until then he would just be thankful the sorcerer had given him and his friends a place to stay. There were tall windows in this room, too, which reminded him of his room back at the Land of Departure, but outside was the vastness of space, as though the tower was suspended in the Lanes Between and not a world of its own.

"Sorry, Aqua," Ven replied, looking back at her. "I guess it's a hard habit to break!"

"Well, you better start working on it. You can't be a Keyblade Master if you sleep all the time."

Ven and Aqua looked to the doorway to see Terra had appeared, and he had an amused, but impatient, look on his face.

"Terra!" Aqua exclaimed brightly. "You're one to talk! I was coming to wake you next!"

"I've been up since way before you," he replied with a smirk. "I was just taking a nap after morning warm ups."

"Mm-hmm, sure," Ven chuckled. "Just like me, right?"

"Just like you," Terra said, still smiling. "Now, c'mon. The others are waiting for us. Today's the day we get finally caught up on all the stuff we missed."

Ven let out an excited laugh and popped right out of his bed. He had mixed feelings hearing about all the stuff he had missed while he'd slept for a decade; he couldn't shake the feeling that all of this was partly his fault, and partly the fault of his friends, but at the same time it was exciting. Once they were all caught up, he and the other Keyblade wielders were going to finally put an end to Xehanort and save the worlds for good. They had been listening to stories about other worlds and epic battles for the past couple of days, the narrator jumping from Sora, to Riku, to Mickey, back to Sora again. The stories were everywhere, but it was enough to keep him at the edge of his seat and eager to hear more. The more he knew, the sooner he could help.

Throwing on his jacket and snapping his armor to his arm, Ventus was the first to race out of his room and up the stairs toward Master Yen Sid's room. Aqua and Terra tagged along closely behind, talking about how the only thing that could move him faster than this was the promise of a really big breakfast.

"There's gonna be breakfast, too?" Ventus exclaimed and indeed his pace picked up. He shoved open the final doors at the top of the staircase so quickly that he nearly plowed over someone.

"Whoa!" Sora gasped, jumping back as the doors nearly whacked him in the face. "Oh, there you guys are! I was just coming down to get you!"

"Only because you just woke up yourself," Riku chided from behind him. "If there's anyone in the worlds who can sleep like you, it's those guys."

"Hey, I've been up since before the sun!" Terra frowned.

"He really hasn't," Aqua giggled.

The three friends filed into the room and came into line next to Riku, Sora, and Kairi, who waved at them as they walked in. Behind the desk stood Master Yen Sid, who looked at them all with the same solemnity and wisdom Ventus recalled from years ago. Any shuffling or muttering silenced when they found his eyes upon them, and soon everything in the room was still.

"I'm glad to see you have all finally decided to join me this morning," he said, his voice deep and stern. "Today, as you know, is very important. Not only will we at last conclude the story that has brought us all here, but we will also be introducing our newer Keyblade wielders to their Keyblade Gliders."

"Really?!" Sora exclaimed. Riku also looked surprised, as did Kairi, but Sora's outburst made everyone laugh. "Sorry," he managed between chuckles.

"I understand your excitement," Master Yen Sid smiled softly. "Learning to fly on a Keyblade Glider and experience the Lanes Between on your own accord is a large stepping stone on the way to becoming a true Keyblade Master, Mark of Mastery or not."

"But it won't be easy," Aqua warned. "It took Terra and I days to figure it out, much less get good at it."

"Then there's Ven, who fell off more often than he stayed on for the first week," Terra smirked.

"Did not!" Ven argued. "And it's not like I had a bike like you! Skating is a lot more difficult!"

" _But_ once he did get the hang of it, he was the best of all of us," Terra continued. "So what I was trying to say is, don't get discouraged if you can't do it right away."

"Oh." Ven reddened slightly. "Thanks Terra."

"Either way, I can't wait to see what our Gliders look like," Kairi mused. "They resemble our Keyblades, right? I wonder what mine will be…"

"How about we stop talking about it and get to trying it out?" Riku suggested. "Unless there was anything else you wanted to tell us, Master Yen Sid?"

"Just a reminder to not fly out of this world unless you've activated your armor," Yen Sid said. "Other than that, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus will be your teachers today. Heed their words."

"Yes, Master!" the six said, snapping to attention and saluting the sorcerer. He nodded to them and then they dispersed back down the staircase they had come up.

"Do you think we should split up when we're practicing?" Ven asked. "I could work with Sora and—"

"Let's see what their Gliders look like first," Terra suggested. "Then if we see any similarities, we can split up based on that."

"This is gonna be so cool," Sora said, mostly to himself, though he couldn't contain his excitement. "I hope I get something like a light cycle!"

"Like that thing from the Grid?" Riku asked. "I hope you don't. I don't want to imagine the chaos you'd cause on one of those things."

"Hey, I'm a good driver! Just ask Donald!"

"You'll get to show us if that's true yourself," Kairi giggled. "Now hurry up before the others leave us behind!"

The Keyblade wielders piled outside of the Mysterious Tower, the three newer ones lining up and waiting intently for directions from the others. Terra and Ven began to look around, making sure there was enough space for safe crash landings, and Ven found himself hoping that no one would accidentally fly through a window.

This place wasn't as big as it looked from the inside, and it certainly didn't have as much space as the Land of Departure. He wished they could go there, but they would be easy targets if they set foot in that place again. The abundant shrubbery and endless abysses around the edges of the tower would have to do for now.

"Alright," Aqua began as Terra and Ven continued their scouting, "the first thing we have to figure out is how you summon your Gliders. Usually it helps to summon your armor first, so go ahead and do that."

Ven spun around to watch as Sora, Riku, and Kairi punched a button on the side of their arms, and the armor there expanded. He couldn't help but beam as he admired their new looks, remembering the first day he figured out how to use his armor. Sora was covered in brilliant golds and reds, Riku in a chilling combination of blues and purples, and finally Kairi in a radiant pink and fuchsia. They certainly looked like Keyblade Masters donning that armor. Ven hoped he, Terra, and Aqua looked that impressive when they wore theirs, too.

"Ven, what are you waiting for?" Terra asked, coming up behind him. It took the blonde a moment to process that Terra, too, was already in his armor.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I guess I got distracted," he chuckled. With a flick of the wrist, his armor appeared around him and he walked over to where Aqua was still instructing the others.

"…and once you think you've got that, you just let your Keyblade loose and see what happens," she was saying. "Terra, Ven, and I can demonstrate for you."

"Please do!" Sora exclaimed.

Aqua laughed and equipped her armor as the other two summoned their Keyblades.

"Ven, why don't you go first?" Terra suggested.

Ventus nodded and his fingers tightened around his Keyblade. He felt its warmth spread from his palm to the rest of his body, making him smile. Spinning the blade around, he let it loose and it flipped into the air and disappeared into the sky. He heard the surprised gasps from Sora and Kairi and smirked. If they were impressed by that, then they just had to wait and see.

There was a twinkling sound, and then a birdlike vehicle came swooping back toward him. Ven leapt up and landed gracefully aboard his Keyblade Glider, mounting it like a skateboard. With a shift of his weight, he began to zoom around, and he let himself show off, flipping this way and that, flying all over and whipping his way around the Mysterious Tower.

Within seconds, Terra and Aqua had joined him, and they whisked around each other in dazzling patterns, laughing at the near misses and the tag-like game Terra and Ven got themselves into. Ven was so wrapped up in their game that he almost didn't notice Aqua had gone back down to the ground to speak with the other three. He paused a moment, looking up only to see Terra screech to a halt in order to not hit him.

"Check it out," Ven said, pointing. "They're going to try to summon their Gliders!"

Sure enough, Sora was the first to step forward. His Keyblade flashed into his hand and he focused for a long time. Suddenly, he spun the weapon around and then tossed it into the air, where it too disappeared into the distance. The same _ping_ sounded and there was a whirring as Sora's Keyblade returned to him, but not as it had left him.

Now, the Keyblade had reformed itself into something like a raft, with its crown like a sail and its hilt a large platform.

"Cool!" Sora shouted, hopping on and nearly flipping himself over. "It's like a sailboat!" He stood on it much like Ven had mounted his own Keyblade Glider, leaning to the side as he gripped the King's seal that was attached to the shaft. The power in the Glider surged to life and Sora rocketed off in surprisingly good control.

"He must have learned that from you," Terra chuckled. "You guys are so alike. It's almost scary."

"Yeah, and you and Riku are a lot alike, and Kairi's a lot like Aqua," Ven agreed. "I guess it just makes sense, seeing how much we all did for one another."

"You make a good point. Now look, it's Riku's turn."

Riku had already released his Keyblade by the time Ven had turned his attention to him. It was returning to him in the form of something like a bike, and he heard Sora over his shoulder shout "No fair!" The Glider itself looked like the eye on Riku's weapon's hilt, and the boy slung his leg over it to get settled. Each side of the Glider came up like a barrier, one side in the shape of the bat wing of the Keyblade, the other like the angel wing. A perfect balance of light and darkness, and a perfect match for Riku.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Sora," Riku called up to him, and at once was able to blast over to him.

"I wasn't begging about anything!" Sora argued. "I just said I wanted a light cycle!"

"Well, instead you got a raft. Want to trade?"

"…No."

Sora zipped back down to the ground and landed very sloppily by tripping on himself and nearly falling over.

"Alright Kairi, you can do it!" he encouraged nonetheless.

"Yeah Kairi!" Ven called after him. "Show us how it's done!"

Kairi laughed sheepishly but summoned up her blade. She was still for a moment, as though she was trying to find the perfect memory to use to fuel her Glider. In a flash, the Keyblade had left her hand and sailed into the sky, and within seconds it came back much different from all the rest.

A large flower was at its base, its petals spinning around like a propeller. An open heart floated above it, and Kairi slipped into its middle.

"Like this?" she asked, turning to see Aqua had already called her own Glider over to show Kairi how to use hers.

"Exactly!" Aqua smiled. "Now just follow my lead."

The two girls slowly made their way around the grounds, Riku following patiently behind. Sora, meanwhile, had gotten too excited and was falling all over himself as he rushed to get back on his Glider. Ven noticed he wasn't trying to balance like he was before, just trying to get back in the air as quickly as possible. The way he was going about it, he was never going to get there.

Ven zipped down to Sora's level, laughing.

"Sora, you gotta take it slow," he explained.

"I did it fine before," the brunette grumbled.

"Yeah, and now you're rushing," Ven scolded. "Just take a breath and focus on finding your balance. Then you can catch up, easy. Our Keyblade Gliders are a lot alike. It might take us a little longer to get on them, but once we do, we're a lot more agile and quick than theirs are."

"Right…"

Sora stepped back and took a deep breath. He looked at his Keyblade Glider for a moment, then gave a confident nod and lowered himself. With a large jump, he landed squarely on his Glider and wiggled a bit, but after repositioning his feet, he was able to balance it out.

"Perfect!" Ven exclaimed. "Just like that!"

"Thanks Ven," Sora grinned. "Now, how about we show the others just how much cooler our Keyblade Gliders are!"

It was on days like this when Roxas wasn't sure if he'd slept for years, or not at all. The first thing he remembered was staring at the ceiling of his room in The Castle That Never Was. That wasn't surprising; it was how he started every day ever since he'd come back to the Organization. He didn't remember coming back into his own body, in fact he didn't remember much from being one with Sora, either. None of that mattered now, though; he was part of Organization XIII again and he had to do what they said.

At least, that's what he was telling himself. He _could_ leave, he reminded himself daily, but he never did. Now, he had Axel again. That was better than the nothing he had before. He could scarcely recall his days in the digital Twilight Town, but all of that was fabricated. What he had here was real, or at least as real as anything could be for a Nobody.

Groggily, Roxas kicked his feet out of bed and forced himself to sit upright. Everything was so quiet here. No birds, no kids running out on the street, no bells tolling or trains screeching. Occasionally he could hear a Dusk materialize or muffled voices come out from the Grey Area, but compared to the busy streets of Twilight Town, The World That Never Was was silent.

Putting a hand on his forehead as he shook off the thoughts, the blonde got to his feet and wobbled over to the hall. He might as well see if there was anything to do yet, he figured.

"Good morning, lazy bones."

Roxas gave a bit of a start when a voice sounded right beside him as he stood in his doorway. Looking up and to his right, he smiled when he found a familiar redhead smirking down at him.

"Axel," he laughed breathlessly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Heart attack?" Axel repeated. "That's a good one."

"You know what I mean." Roxas rolled his eyes. "If I had a heart, it would've probably just stopped."

"Good thing you don't, then. You sure have a capacity for sleep though."

Roxas just shrugged and started walking down the hall. Axel was quick to follow. When they were walking side by side like this, it felt as though nothing had ever changed.

"Did you hear the news?" Axel asked after a moment.

"News?"

"Of course, you were sleeping until now." Axel shook his head. "Anyway, apparently Xion will be back tomorrow."

Roxas stopped dead in his tracks.

"Xion!?" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "What are you talking about? How?"

"Apparently that's been the Organization's top priority lately. Vexen has been working nonstop to recreate her, memories and all. Didn't you wonder why you could remember her name so suddenly?"

To be honest, Roxas hadn't thought about it. Until that moment, he hadn't even remembered Xion existed, which he supposed was Axel's point. However, now that he was actively thinking about her, it was like she had never left his memory.

"That doesn't explain how," he said after a length. "Or why."

"I dunno," Axel shrugged. "My guess it has something to do with heart collection. Two Keyblades are better than one, after all."

"But why keep her memories intact?"

"Maybe it's a gift."

Roxas snorted, glaring at the ground. Yeah, a gift from the Organization. He highly doubted it.

"I'm serious," the other continued. "We're under new management, remember? Maybe the 'new Superior' wants to get on our good side."

"Since when has Saïx ever wanted to be on anyone's good side?" Roxas questioned. "Especially ours?"

Roxas looked up a bit too late, realizing as soon as he'd finished speaking that Saïx himself was just a few paces up ahead. Axel looked mildly embarrassed – as embarrassed as Axel could look, anyway – but Roxas maintained his grumpy expression.

"Need I remind you of our goals?" Saïx asked calmly.

"Collect hearts, I get it," Roxas replied shortly.

"Precisely. And we need your Keyblade – and Xion's – to accomplish that goal. What better way to motivate you than to kindle the false friendship you so stubbornly cling to?"

"It's not a false friendship."

"You don't have a heart, Roxas. It can't be a real one."

Roxas fell quiet.

"Back to business, then," Saïx said, his tone still as even as always. Something about that bugged Roxas to no end. If he was going to be a jerk, then why couldn't he sound like one? "Now that you've finally awoken, we can send the two of you out on your missions."

"Alright, bringing back the dream team, I see," Axel grinned and began stretching out his arms. "What's the assignment today, Captain?"

" _You_ will be sent on a reconnaissance mission with Xaldin," Saïx answered. "He's waiting for you in the Grey Area and has details about your goals for today."

"Wait wait wait, hold up," Axel frowned. "You get me all hyped up to get back to work and then you don't even send me on a mission with Roxas? What gives?"

"It seems as though you both are having memory problems today. If I recall correctly, the two of you deserted the Organization in its previous incarnation. Sending the two of you on the same mission raises the chances on you deserting again. That isn't something that is in our best interest."

"Okay, I get all that, but putting me with _Xaldin_? And for _reconnaissance_? What am I, four?"

"You know as well as I do the current state of things. Staying under the radar as far as the forces of light and darkness is one of our topmost priorities. We need to be aware of what they are doing, so we can plan to avoid it."

"So what are you doing with me, then?" Roxas demanded.

"You will be collecting hearts, of course. Zexion will be joining you in Radiant Garden."

Roxas groaned. Zexion was definitely better than some of the alternatives, but he wasn't the most exciting person to be paired with.

"And I will be accompanying you to his lab," Saïx continued. Roxas groaned again. Even better. "Axel, you have your assignment. Go to the Grey Area."

"Sure thing, Mr. Boss Man," Axel sighed. He looked down at Roxas for a moment then lazily saluted him as he turned away. "Later, Roxas."

"Bye, Axel," Roxas replied quietly. His eyes were fixated on the ground. He heard Saïx begin to walk away and knew he was supposed to follow, but he hesitated. Truly, what was stopping him from running out right now? He had already proven he could overpower Saïx or anyone else in the Organization. If he could make it until tomorrow when Xion would be ready, he could grab her and Axel and run.

Expressionless, the blonde followed behind Saïx and they walked silently down the hall. Roxas had no idea where the labs even were in The Castle That Never Was, so he couldn't walk ahead of Saïx to make a point. He tried his best to be completely silent, his footsteps hardly making a sound as they wound down and around the white hallways.

"I see you are going to continue to hold on to the differences we had the last time you were in the Organization," Saïx said at a length. Roxas gave a start, but he knew the Superior's goal was to get him to talk, and he wasn't going to let him win. He just maintained a blank face and kept walking, though he slowed his pace so that he would get even further away from the other.

"If I had a heart, I would be amused that you're holding on to such 'hard feelings'," he continued. "But I don't, and neither do you, so this is just a charade you're performing."

"I could just leave, you know," Roxas snapped, though his voice was still quiet. Saïx always rubbed in the fact they didn't have hearts. It was almost as if he was expecting an emotional reaction, although according to him that was impossible.

"But you won't."

This made Roxas stop completely. He glared up at the other Nobody, his hands tightening into fists and he gritted his teeth.

"What makes you so sure of that?" he demanded. "I did it before, and I could just as easily do it again! I bet Sora and the others would love to have me on their side!"

"I'll give you one very good reason: Axel."

Every tense muscle in Roxas's body went from bracing itself for a fight immediately released. He slumped slightly, trying as hard as he could to not let the truth show on his face, but Saïx was right. Axel was the one reason he couldn't leave the Organization, even if he brought his best friend with him.

"You see, while collecting hearts to create a new Kingdom Hearts would do nothing for you, it would help Axel significantly," Saïx continued. "Completing a new Kingdom Hearts will allow us to go in and find our true hearts, the ones that once belonged to us when we were human. Axel will once again become whole, along with every other member in the Organization. Every one, except you."

"And Xion," Roxas muttered. "She never had a heart to begin with, and mine… is forever stuck inside of Sora."

"Exactly. So yes, Roxas, you could run away and help the heroes, but I can assure you they won't help you create a new Kingdom Hearts. In fact, they'll do anything in their power to stop you. So you can either do your job here in a place that needs you, or you can go play with the heroes and leave Axel to rot as a heartless husk for all eternity."

"You really don't care about anything but your own goals, do you?" Roxas growled. "You're just selfish."

"I have my reasons," Saïx replied evenly. "As do you. It's not as though you claim to care about anyone here outside of Axel, isn't that right? That sounds to me like you're the selfish one, if a Nobody can even be called as such."

There was a pause, and Roxas could neither move nor talk back. He hated that Saïx was right. He was no better than him, if all he wanted to do was help Axel. Did he even _want_ to help Axel, or was he doing it out of the fact that he couldn't help himself? Was Axel just an excuse to make it seem like everything he was fighting for had a purpose?

He closed his eyes, trying to force the thoughts from his mind. Instantly, behind his closed eyelids, he could see a sunset melting gold on tall buildings, and he could feel a light breeze rustling his hair. The smell of summer, and the salty sweet taste of ice cream.

No, he wasn't doing this just for giving himself purpose. He wanted to help his best friend.

"Let's continue," Saïx said, forcing Roxas's eyes open. The other had never turned to face him, and already he was continuing down the hall.

 _Well_ , thought Roxas, _the sooner I complete Kingdom Hearts, the sooner I can get out of here_.

This was going to be a very long mission.


	2. The First Mission

"Okay, so where did we leave off?"

The Keyblade wielders had abandoned their Glider practice not too long ago, knowing there were important things left to discuss. Sora, Riku, and Kairi had gotten a steady handle of how they worked, and that was their goal for the day in any case. What was more important, Ventus was told, was that he and his friends understood what had happened during their long sleep. Xehanort could start moving at any moment, and when he did, the bearers of light had to take action immediately. Not being caught up on what brought them to this point could mean the difference between saving the worlds or watching them be swallowed by darkness.

Sora was sitting at the "head" of the circle, although such a thing didn't really exist. Everyone had just sort of decided he would be the main storyteller, with Kairi adding bits of crucial detail and Riku redirecting him whenever he got off-track. They had already heard all about what had happened to Ven and his friends, though they had told them a few stories here and there they hadn't heard of in the beginning.

"Well, let's see," Terra muttered, responding to Sora's question. "I believe you had just received the results of your Mark of Mastery exams."

"Oh! That's right!" Sora nodded. "Well, actually, that's basically the end of it. We saved the Sleeping Worlds and then we set out to find you guys."

"Your Keyblade washed up on shore on the Destiny Islands," Riku explained, gesturing to Aqua.

"Not my Keyblade," she corrected. "Master Eraqus's."

"Right," Sora agreed. "We knew exactly where it must have come from—"

"That's because I once sent Sora a letter by putting it in the ocean back home," Kairi interjected. "Somehow, it found its way into the Realm of Darkness and washed up on the beach where we found you. Sora and Riku had sat in that exact same spot when they got stuck there."

"So how did you get to the Realm of Darkness?" Ven asked. "That can't be an easy place to get to, unless something bad happens."

"We started thinking, maybe the islands were somehow connected to the Realm of Darkness," Riku answered. "We still had our raft that we had built all that time ago. We decided to give it a try. At the worst, we knew now that our abilities would be more than enough to get us back to land before something bad could happen."

"One night, we were pulled into a whirlpool," Sora continued. "It was really scary. When our heads popped out of the water, we were in the Realm of Darkness!"

"There must be a corridor or something in the middle of the ocean," Terra guessed.

"It could be Xehanort created it when he left the islands as a kid," Riku suggested. "But either way, it got us to where we needed to go."

"And who should be there right in front of us, but Aqua!" Kairi finished.

"The rest of the story goes pretty easy from there, doesn't it?" Aqua smiled. "After you guys found me, we used the Master's Keyblade to go to the Land of Departure and reawaken it, as well as Ven."

"Once my heart and body were in the same place, it was easy for me to wake up!" Ven laughed. "So thanks for keeping it safe for me, Sora."

"Don't mention it!" the brunette grinned. "I'm just glad I could give it back."

"And then I woke up in the Chamber of Repose," Terra said. "I must have come to right around when you defeated both Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody. When he reformed, he became his old self, and I woke up as me again, in a place where I was recovering my old memories. I was there for a while, trying to remember what had happened and where I was. I remembered some of my time as Xehanort but not a lot of it… And then I decided to try to get out."

"Good thing, too, or else we may not have found you at all," Sora said. "I didn't even know that place existed! But there you were in the bailey, carrying Aqua's armor and Keyblade!"

"And that brings us to where we are now," Ventus concluded. "Wow, that's quite a story!"

"So far, it has a happy ending," Kairi added. "We just have to stop Xehanort for good in order for things to end happily overall."

"Can we eat first?" Ven asked quietly. The group laughed. In truth, they all had to be hungry. Ven may have woken up the latest, and he knew he hadn't had a chance to eat, but he also knew the others hadn't woken up much earlier than he had.

They quickly decided to grab some things to eat, and then they would go back to work on their Keyblade Gliders. Terra, Aqua, and Ven explained to the others some of the cooler things their Gliders were capable of as they filled their plates with all kinds of pastries and fruits, then returned to Master Yen Sid's study to reclaim their chairs and eat and chat.

Things seemed far too laid back for them to be on the verge of a war, Ven thought. He knew Xehanort had to be out there somewhere, building up his army of darkness. He knew there had to be Heartless everywhere – since that seemed to be his new favorite lesser being, according to Sora and the gang – and he himself knew about the Unversed. He wasn't sure where Vanitas was, if the darkness inside him was still a part of his heart or if he had escaped when his heart left Sora and returned to him. He didn't want to think about it, but he knew that was something he needed to bring up eventually.

Terra was just explaining to the others about how there had been an entire section of Disney Town dedicated to racing and how he had been able to use his Keyblade Glider there when the door opened suddenly behind them. The Keyblade wielders were quick to jump to their feet and throw their hands to the sides, ready to summon their weapons if necessary.

In the doorway stood an exhausted King Mickey, and although he looked alright physically, there was worry in his eyes.

"Your Majesty?" Aqua asked hesitantly.

"Mickey, what's wrong?" Riku questioned, stepping forward.

"It's nothin' too bad yet," the mouse king began, "but it looks like there's gonna be trouble in Radiant Garden."

"Trouble?" Terra repeated. "What kind of trouble?"

"The kinda trouble that Heartless bring!" Mickey answered. "I was just walkin' around in town and they started springing up over by the ravine."

"You don't think Xehanort has anything to do with this, do you?" Kairi asked quietly.

"I don't know, but I'm not sure we should wait ta find out. It could just be a small outbreak, or maybe the Heartless machines are malfunctionin', but could you guys check it out for us?"

"I don't see why not!" Sora said brightly. "Swatting some Heartless is no big deal for six Keyblade wielders like us! Besides, we can fly there on our Gliders! Two-in-one practice, right?"

The group nodded in agreement, and King Mickey beamed.

"I knew I could count on you fellas," he grinned. "Like I said, we're not sure if Xehanort is involved, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Me and Master Yen Sid will look into things and make sure he's still idle and see if we can't find what he's planning. You guys head ta Radiant Garden and take care of those Heartless!"

"Understood, Your Majesty!" the six said, giving him a quick salute, and then in a jumbled rush they all darted down the stairs and outside of the tower.

Terra and Aqua were the first to put their armor on, followed by Sora and Riku. They just as quickly summoned their Gliders and were up in the air by the time Ventus had followed Kairi down the porch steps and equipped his armor. The blonde opened his hand as his armor flashed on, and suddenly his own Keyblade materialized into his palm. He tossed it into the air, watching it arc back to him in its Glider form, seeing Terra, Aqua, Sora, and Riku become specks in the sky as they flew off.

He was just about to jump on when he heard Kairi make a quiet, unsure sound. She had put her armor on and was standing behind her Keyblade Glider, but she looked at it in a way that told him she wasn't ready for this. Flying in the Lanes Between was a risky business, and one misstep could land a person in a very random world.

"Don't worry, Kairi," Ven told her. "I'll stay with you. We can take it slow. I'm sure there will still be plenty of Heartless for us to take out when we get there."

Kairi laughed softly.

"Thanks, Ven," she replied. "I just feel bad… I haven't had a Keyblade for nearly as long as Sora or Riku have, and especially not as long as you and Terra and Aqua. I guess… I feel like I'm the odd one out."

"I know what you mean." Kairi cocked her head at him as he said this, so he continued. "When I arrived at the Land of Departure, I couldn't remember anything. What was even more intimidating, though, was that Aqua and Terra were already such good friends, and so close to Master Eraqus. Even as I started grasping how to live again and even how to wield a Keyblade, for a long time I felt like I'd never catch up to them as friends, or as a family. But you know? Terra and Aqua would always hang back for me, maybe not at the same time, and maybe not every time, but when they did, they always made me feel like part of their team. After a while, it just became natural, and I caught up without even noticing it. I bet that's what will happen for you, too."

Kairi laughed again and nodded. She carefully made her way onto her Keyblade Glider and positioned herself properly. Once she was settled, she looked over to Ven.

"I'll remember that," she said, her voice warm and filled with much more hope than before. "Thanks Ven. For telling me that _and_ for being the one to wait for me this time."

"Not a problem!" he replied, then turned and hopped onto his own Glider. "Now we've got some catching up to do! But don't worry and take your time with it, okay? I'll be with you all the way!"

The rest of the trip to the laboratory had been rather uneventful. Roxas and Saïx had walked in silence, which had been what Roxas was expecting from the beginning. He wished Saïx hadn't spoken to him at all, but it was over with and was already making him feel emptier than he already was.

The pair took many hallways and stairs, each almost identical to the last, at least to an outsider. Roxas was more than familiar with the castle walls, and could navigate them with ease. Much to his displeasure, however, he wasn't sure where the labs were, and begrudgingly had to keep pace with Saïx on their way.

At long last, they reached what had to be the bottom of the Castle That Never Was, and Saïx approached a touchpad on the wall. He punched in a few numbers and the door slid open, revealing another white room, though this one seemed far more sterile than any others in the castle. Roxas walked inside, Saïx following behind him, and saw two familiar faces standing on the other side of the table in the middle of the room.

"Ah, Roxas," Vexen smiled, pausing his notetaking, "I don't think I've ever seen you down here before." He then took notice of Saïx. "And the new Superior. What honor are we being granted here?"

"Roxas has a mission with Zexion," Saïx said flatly, gesturing with a nod toward the younger man standing beside Vexen.

"Today of all days?" Vexen complained. "Don't you know we are right in the middle of reviving our replica?"

"Xion?" Roxas asked. He hadn't wanted to show Saïx how excited that made him, but he couldn't constrain himself when it seemed so close.

"That's right, you would still know it as Xion," Vexen muttered. "Well, no matter. It seems to have reclaimed its memories of the life it had before its destruction."

"Xion is not an it," Roxas said quietly, but no one seemed to hear him.

"Alas, it will not be operational until tomorrow. The nasty business of these memories appearing has made it difficult to replicate your ability to wield the Keyblade. It has 'expectations' now."

"Enough chatter," Saïx finally interjected. "Zexion, you will accompany Roxas. Now."

"Honestly, why can't you send him with Demyx?" Vexen argued.

"Do not worry, Vexen," Zexion replied, setting down the strange tools he'd been fiddling around with. "If the Superior wishes to send me on a mission, then I will go. No. i will still be ready for tomorrow, I'll make sure of it."

"Oh, alright," Vexen sighed. "This better not impede my progress, Saïx. No. i is very important and necessary to complete Kingdom Hearts in a timely manner!"

Saïx ignored the older Nobody and turned swiftly to leave the room. Zexion came from around the table and followed him, signaling Roxas to follow along. He could still hear Vexen's irritated muttering as the door closed behind him.

"What exactly is this mission you are sending us on, Superior?" Zexion asked as they continued down the hall.

"As per usual, Roxas will be collecting hearts," Saïx responded. "You will be accompanying him to keep an eye on his behavior. As a long-time and trusted member of this Organization, I expect you can be held responsible for making sure he does not attempt to desert us again, or get broken due to your and Vexen's experiments."

"Of course," Zexion replied. "Where will you have us go?"

Roxas muttered incoherently under his breath. He'd already explained he wasn't going to go anywhere, and Saïx had proved that he was telling the truth. He hated when the other members spoke about him like he wasn't there when he was standing only several inches away from them.

"Radiant Garden," Saïx continued. "That world is plenty large enough to draw a great number of Heartless and still not draw attention to itself. The heroes should not bother you there, nor will Xehanort or his followers."

"Of course," Zexion repeated. "Though, I do have one question. Should we encounter the heroes or Xehanort, what course of action would you like us to take?"

"Roxas must be contained at all costs. Avoid them whenever possible, and only use aggression should it be used upon you first."

"Understood."

Saïx stopped and held out a hand to his side. A corridor of darkness appeared in front of his palm, and he stepped to the side of it before looking down at Zexion and Roxas.

"Roxas," he said, and with a silent grimace Roxas looked at him. "Your number one priority is collecting hearts. Let nothing come between you and this goal until it has been met. Do you understand?"

Roxas just nodded and focused his eyes on the corridor of darkness. He couldn't stand taking orders from him. He knew he had no choice, but he wished that Saïx would be less blatant. Then at least he could feel like he was making his own decisions.

Keeping his head down, Roxas entered the corridor and heard Zexion's footsteps behind him. In the darkness, all sound was gone and soon the light disappeared too. It was cold, and Roxas pulled his hood over his head to keep the biting darkness out. He could feel it nipping at his exposed skin, and just like every trip through the darkness, he was thankful for the cloaks the Organization had bestowed upon him.

Just as suddenly as it had left, the darkness retreated, the light at the end of the tunnel growing until in encompassed him completely and broke daylight over his head. He stepped on to the bluish-gray grounds of the ravine in Radiant Garden, closely followed by Zexion.

"Now we wait," said the older boy. "We just need enough light to lead them here."

Without waiting for a prompt, Roxas summoned his Keyblade. He knew the Heartless could track it easily and would show up shortly. Zexion seemed to understand the gesture, pulling out his lexicon and flipping through its pages. He found whatever he was looking for and held out a hand. A Keyblade appeared there, and for a moment Roxas was confused. It took him a second to realize it was just an illusion, but Zexion's power was so strong that maybe it could confuse the Heartless too.

Almost as if on cue, the sky above started to darken. This wasn't caused by the Heartless, of course, just a normal storm blowing over. Still, Roxas felt it was appropriate. It put him in the right mood, if something like that could be said about a Nobody. There was something about fighting Heartless on a bright and sunny day that just wasn't as satisfying as battling the wind and the rain just as much as the monsters.

As the sun disappeared behind the dark gray clouds above, splotches of black began to form on the ground in front of the two. Zexion smirked and let his faux Keyblade disappear, knowing it had done its job. Roxas, however, kept his summoned, and braced himself for the onslaught. Heartless after Heartless appeared, some with crests and some without.

"Do not focus your attention on the natural Heartless," Zexion reminded him.

"I know," Roxas replied shortly. "Only the Emblems release the hearts we need. I can do this blindfolded."

The world became a blur as he fell into the motions of swatting down Heartless. He expertly avoided the naturally-occurring creatures, leaving them to Zexion to finish them off. It was as though he hadn't missed a day in his routine missions; the muscle memory was so strong he could barely tell he was thinking as he slashed through Heartless after Heartless.

There weren't as many as he had been hoping, but it was a constant stream of dark creatures that rose from the shadows. The rain started to fall but Roxas didn't hesitate. Pink hearts dotted the sky as they retreated to Kingdom Hearts. Maybe he didn't need a heart. It wasn't as though he could get one anyway. But Axel deserved one. He didn't care about Kingdom Hearts or anyone else in the Organization. He just wanted to help his best friend. Who knew? Maybe after all of this was over, he could get a heart of his own. There had to be somebody out there who wouldn't want theirs back.

"Roxas."

Zexion's voice cut through the hissing dissipation of the Heartless, causing Roxas to pause. It seemed the Heartless had become distracted too, not attacking them anymore, but rather turning their attention away. He followed their glowing yellow eyes, but the fog was thick from the rain and he couldn't see anything on the horizon. Still, he felt that something was out there, coming from the town.

"We are not alone," Zexion continued solemnly. "The Heartless must have drawn someone else after all."

"Saïx said we're supposed to avoid them, whoever they are," Roxas replied, though he wanted to wash his mouth out with soap for even suggesting following Saïx's orders.

"The Superior also made it clear that your duty is to collect hearts."

"You want me to follow them over to whoever else is here?"

"Cut them off before they get there. Make haste."

Roxas did as he was told and chased after the Heartless. They were definitely more fixated on whoever had just arrived than on himself. It made them easier targets to defeat, but not necessarily to reach. There were a few stragglers that were easy to take out, but catching the faster ones was a problem. He chased them halfway up the ravine before clearing them all out, but he knew more would spring up in their place in a matter of time.

Zexion had followed not far behind and came to a stop beside him as the last Heartless faded away and its captive heart was released into the sky in front of a bolt of lightning. However, the older member's stormy eyes were following the heart; rather, they had focused on the incoming footsteps Roxas had failed to hear.

"Keep your hood up," Zexion ordered, and Roxas nodded.

From the fog appeared four figures, all varying in size. It wasn't until they were much closer Roxas recognized two of them, and something inside of him twisted. Sora and Riku. The heroes of light had found them.

"Zexion!" Riku shouted. Sora looked moderately confused but still wore his best angry expression in the face of the Organization. "What are you doing here?"

Roxas dismissed his Keyblade so quickly he was sure it hadn't been noticed.

"I am here on a mission from the Organization," Zexion explained coolly. "That is of no concern of yours."

"Oh, I think it is!" Sora retorted. "How come there were so many Heartless over here? What are you guys up to? Don't you know we've got enough on our plate dealing with Xehanort?"

"Unless you are working with him," said the blue-haired girl Roxas had never seen before. She and the other boy also had Keyblades, so he figured they had to be part of the heroes group now.

"We have no intent to deal with that crazed man," Zexion answered, his voice incredibly calm. Sometimes, Roxas really doubted that he and the other Nobodies didn't have hearts. Zexion did not help him prove that point.

"So then what's with all the Heartless?" said the tallest boy, his brown brow furrowing.

"Again, that is of no concern of yours," Zexion repeated. "I will inform you that they are not of our creation. In addition, you needn't worry about their interference with your war. They will be occupied enough with other diversions, I can assure you."

"Yeah, diversions you cause!" Sora snapped. Roxas rolled his eyes beneath his hood. Some things never changed, and Sora never stopped being so stubborn. "How about you guys back off and stop making trouble for a change?"

Zexion opened his mouth, but as he did so, a corridor of darkness appeared in between them. Roxas heard the heroes gasp and he himself had to catch his breath and take a step back in surprise. When the darkness died down, another member of the Organization stood there. Their hood was pulled over their face and hiding their features, but Roxas would recognize his pencil-thin frame anywhere.

"Whoa guys, how about we calm down a couple of notches?" Axel said, lowering his hands in a calming gesture. "I think we're all kind of jumping to conclusions here. Just because we were enemies in the past doesn't mean we have to be enemies now."

"Axel?" Sora asked, and Roxas frowned at how easily his Other seemed to know his own best friend. "What are you doing working for the Organization again?"

"It's a really long story that I'm afraid I don't have time to explain," Axel replied, flicking his hood off now that his identity had been revealed. "But let me put it this way; you heroes have enough on your plate. You guys take it easy, or go fight Xehanort or something. We'll take care of the Heartless for you. Fair?"

"Since when do you guys care about taking out the Heartless?" Riku questioned. He was clearly not as thrown off by Axel's appearance as Sora had been. Something about that made Roxas's frown deepen. "Unless you have plans for them."

"Nope, no plans, I can assure you of that," Axel replied quickly, perhaps too quickly. He and Roxas were on the same page; the heroes wouldn't be happy about a new Kingdom Hearts.

"There's people that live in the town ahead," the girl stated firmly. "Letting you continue to experiment with the Heartless would put them in danger."

"We're here to keep the peace," said the other boy, "and right now you guys seem to be the ones obstructing it."

"We shouldn't be pointing fingers here," Axel warned. "We should all just go about our business—"

"Leave, or face the consequences for endangering the people of this world," the boy Roxas didn't know said sharply. "If you don't have any plans with the Heartless, then you should be thankful we're taking care of them for you."

"Likewise," Zexion replied, and the smallest of smirks appeared on his face. "Perhaps you could even help us destroy them."

"Fat chance!" Sora growled. "The last time I 'helped' you guys get rid of Heartless, you used them to make your own Kingdom Hearts! We can't let that happen!"

"Then it seems we are at odds," Zexion muttered, then waved his hand. For a moment, Roxas felt dizzy, like something had smacked him in the forehead and left him stunned. The world blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, there was someone standing in front of him, their back to him. It took him a moment to process that he was looking at a mirror image of himself, and that Zexion had just taken the liberty of creating a double for him.

Zexion looked at the real Roxas from the corner of his eye, giving the slightest of gestures for him to depart. At once, Roxas understood. It was his job to collect hearts, heroes present or not. Zexion was just buying time; there were too many Heartless here to pass up the opportunity for so many hearts.

"This doesn't have to get nasty," Axel was saying, and that was the last Roxas heard before he took off under the cover of the rain and thunder.

Ventus and Kairi were travelling through the Lanes Between at what was, to him, a painfully slow pace. He knew Aqua, Terra, and the others had gone on ahead and there was nothing to worry about, but he still wanted to be on the front lines with them. However, he didn't mind staying back and helping Kairi. It was just his personal preference to go fast, and that was not something the princess could do currently.

Instead, Ven entertained himself with the idea that he was escorting royalty, which was pretty much the truth. Kairi was a lot less formal than any of the princesses he'd ever met before, but she was still a princess, and he was still helping her out. He kept close to her and raced in beside her any time he saw her wobble, which became less and less the longer they traveled.

Ven also considered himself lucky that he'd traveled between the Mysterious Tower and Radiant Garden before, for he knew right where to go, and how to avoid the most asteroids while getting there.

"See that place up ahead?" he called to Kairi, showing a growing orb on the horizon. "That's Radiant Garden! We're almost there!"

"That's good…" Kairi half sighed, half giggled. "I'll feel much more confident when I'm back on my feet."

"It's okay, don't worry about it!" Ven assured her. "Besides, practice makes perfect. Soon, you'll be flying better than even Sora or Riku!"

"I don't know about that, but thanks for thinking so."

"Hey, didn't Mickey say the Heartless were in the ravine?" Ven paused as he recalled the mouse king's words. "I'm not sure I know where that is…"

"I can sort of remember from when I was little… There's a whole bunch of cliffs outside the walls of the town. That must be what he was talking about."

"Oh, alright! We'll just land out there then! We can sneak up behind the Heartless while the others attack the front!"

"Sounds like a plan! Lead the way, Ven!"

The blonde Keyblade wielder did as he was told, and despite his best efforts to keep at Kairi's pace, he sped up a little. He couldn't contain his excitement. This would be his first time facing off against the Heartless in a fair fight. Back when he had been Xehanort's pupil, the old man had put the Heartless against him a number of times, and every time he hadn't been strong enough to fight them off. Now he knew he was stronger, and while he was still nervous about fighting his old foes, he was looking forward to finally having the chance to show what he was made of.

The pair descended into Radiant Garden, foregoing the town and instead heading straight into the ravine. Ven landed easily, which gave him a chance to help Kairi dismount her Keyblade Glider. They dismissed their armor but kept their Keyblades in their hands and looked around.

"I don't hear or see anyone," Kairi commented.

"They must be further up ahead," Ven replied, wiping the rain from his face. "Hey, good job landing in that storm. That's not easy."

"I could only do it because I had your help," Kairi admitted. "But thanks."

"You sell yourself short, you know. You're a lot stronger and braver than you think. You just gotta listen to what's in your heart and let that talk for you instead."

Kairi let out a soft laugh and nodded, and something about her looked different. There was a new light in her eyes, as though she was taking Ven's words to heart and listening to what was inside. He knew she could fight, and he knew she could do a lot of things she said she couldn't. She just had to believe in herself, and then she'd be unstoppable.

Ventus led the way down the ravine path, hoping they would come across their friends before the Heartless found them. Both of them being pure vessels of light didn't help in the latter case, but Ven kept his chin up. The storm only worsened the deeper they got into the ravine, and he hoped they were heading the right direction. They had started off toward the town, knowing the others couldn't have possibly walked from their past where they landed in the time it had taken them to catch up. They continued walking, however, and Ven started having doubts.

They rounded a corner, and Ven's face fell. There was a large clearing between the cliffs, but no sign of Heartless or their friends. He sighed, turning to Kairi.

"Guess we overshot it by a lot," he said sheepishly. Kairi smiled back at him, but then her eyes fixated on something in front of them.

"Ventus!" she cried, falling back into a defensive stance. "Look out!"

Ven turned in time to see a Heartless grow out of the ground and pounce at him. Surprised but not unprepared, he raised his Keyblade and cut cleanly through it. He was about to make a comment to Kairi about close calls, but then more Heartless appeared. Some were the same smaller ones that had tried to jump him before, but some were larger. In fact, it looked like they were only getting bigger, as if they had finally gotten the message there were pure hearts waiting to be corrupted.

Using all the training he had ever received, Ven was able to keep the Heartless at bay. He heard Kairi fighting behind him and knew she was keeping up, but the number of Heartless was only growing. He tried to focus on listening beyond the hissing of the Heartless and the grunting he and Kairi made as they fended them off in hopes of hearing something or someone coming to help.

Then he heard it. A shout. Someone up ahead was yelling, and it was a familiar cry. It sounded just like Terra.

"Terra!" he called, but his voice was lost in a clap of thunder. He decided to change tactics. "Kairi!" he shouted, and Kairi did her best to acknowledge him without getting overwhelmed by monsters. "I think the others are just up ahead! If we can get to them, this'll be a cakewalk!"

Furrowing his brow, Ven jumped back from the clump of Heartless that had advanced on him and pointed his Keyblade in the direction he'd heard Terra's voice. A light formed at the tip of his weapon, and then a brilliant beam of light shot out, tearing right through any Heartless that stood in its path.

"Go on!" he ordered, and Kairi nodded. She backhanded a Heartless that jumped at her, then took off down the newly cleared path Ven had opened up. A smile pulled on the corner of his mouth, proud of his resourcefulness, and then he made to take off after her.

A few strides in, a pool of darkness appeared ahead of him. He tried to speed himself up, to run just a little faster, but he couldn't make it in time. Kairi disappeared as she rounded the corner, and a large Heartless with an even larger tummy stood between him and her.

"Ven!" Kairi cried, still out of sight, but he knew she was going to try to come back for him.

"Don't worry about me!" he called to her, readying his weapon. "I can take this guy down easy! You go find Terra and the others! I'm right behind you!"

Kairi did not appear, so he figured she must have listened to him. So that left him against this big guy and at least another ten Heartless. Those odds weren't the greatest, but he assured himself he could handle it.

Giving a determined cry, Ven slammed his Keyblade into the Heartless's stomach. It bounced off with a dissatisfying _boing_ and he stumbled back from the surprise impact. So attacking this thing from the front wasn't going to do the trick. Before he could try another strategy, the Heartless swung at him, forcing him back further still. He tried to find an opening, but other Heartless surrounded him on all sides, wedging him into a narrow arena with the larger creature. He tried to attack its front again, jumping and aiming for its head this time, but was still repelled and sent stumbling backwards.

It took him a moment to regain his balance, and that was all the monsters needed for an advantage. Two smaller ones pounced at him, and as he tried to shake them off, the bigger ones joined in. His knees buckled under their weight and he found his face in the dirt in seconds. He could feel them attempting to tear at his skin, but only finding clothing and armor instead.

He tried to shout, he tried to push them off, but nothing worked. This was all too familiar, the weight of darkness pressing down on him, threatening to do him in. This time, there was no Xehanort standing over him to call them off, even though in doing that he would curse Ven in a way worse than death. There was no one there to call off the Heartless, no one to destroy them for taking it too far. He knew his friends had to be just around the corner, he just had to hold on until then.

Ventus's world went black.


	3. Switched

The sounds of arguing broke way to fighting as Roxas made his way down the ravine. He didn't worry about the well-being of anyone in either group; he knew no one was fighting to kill, just to get the other group to back off. He grumbled to himself as he ran, wishing Sora and his friends would mind their own business and let him do his job in peace. It wasn't as though they were doing any harm by creating their own Kingdom Hearts. They would just get the hearts they needed and then be on their way. It didn't affect any of them, so why did they have to butt in and make the job he didn't like doing even more difficult?

The clashing between nothingness and light didn't draw as many Heartless as Roxas had thought it would. He continued down the ravine, hoping that by putting some distance between himself and the conflict, perhaps the Heartless would pursue him. The few Heartless that did appear seemed to pay him no mind and wandered deeper into the ravine. Curious by their behavior, but even more set on slaying them and setting their hearts free, he chased after them, slashing through whichever ones he could catch up to.

As he continued, the sounds of the fight behind him faded, but another set of voices reached him from ahead. He wasn't sure what he could be running toward, but it was whatever the Heartless were after, and they were going to lead him straight to it. He would've continued to follow the Heartless right to the source if the sound of footsteps heading toward him hadn't come to his attention, and very quickly he dove to the side of the cliffs and hid himself in the shadows.

Holding his breath, Roxas dismissed his Keyblade and pressed himself against the ravine wall. His dark cloak helped to hide him among its long, dark shadows, and the rain hid his heavy breaths as he waited for whatever was approaching to pass.

Then, for a quick moment, Kairi was passing him. How had she gotten separated from her group? There was worry in her eyes and she was fighting through Heartless not to defeat them but to pass through. Before he could even think to speak, she was gone, heading back to where he'd come from. He didn't worry about her; she would be safe once she reached Sora and the others, and seemed to be doing fine on her own. Perhaps she was what the Heartless were after.

Sure enough, there was a small wave trailing up the ravine behind her, and Roxas revealed himself from against the wall. The Heartless didn't hesitate, but that was fine for him. He tore through them with his blade, destroying natural and Emblem Heartless alike. There was a short flurry of hearts released into the sky, and then the monsters were mostly gone. A few had slipped past his attacks and continued down deeper into the ravine, much to his confusion. Shouldn't the Heartless be chasing after the Princess of Heart?

He wasn't a Heartless, so he didn't know how their minds worked. He wasn't about to trouble himself with it, either; there were still Heartless, and the more hearts he released now, the less he would have to release later, and the sooner he and Axel could leave the Organization, with Xion in tow. Wiping his brow, still hidden beneath his hood, Roxas ran down the path and into another clearing.

Much to his surprise, there were plenty of Heartless here, and they were much bigger than the ones he'd been facing off against before. He scolded himself silently as he approached; he should've taken advantage of that brief reprieve he'd had and downed a potion, but instead he'd run ahead without thinking. He shook his head. That wouldn't matter. He could handle these monsters easily.

He rushed in without giving it much thought. There was a Large Body, several Shadows, and even some Neo-Shadows. He didn't pay attention to the natural Heartless until the Large Body was slain. It was easy enough; he knew he had to attack the backside, and expertly used magic to distract it from all angles. When it went down, he brushed the Shadows and Neo-Shadows aside as nothing more than pests. Surely all this commotion would cause more Emblem Heartless to arrive in a matter of moments.

As he caught his breath, Roxas looked down to where all the Heartless had been gathering. A light gasp escaped him and he stepped back hesitantly as he saw someone lying on the ground. They were still, but it looked like they still had their heart. At the very least, they weren't a Heartless themselves, or even a Nobody. What caused Roxas the most surprise was the fact that the boy laying on the ground looked exactly like him.

Hesitantly, he approached the unconscious boy and examined him. He was scratched up a bit, but other than that he seemed okay. He must've been overwhelmed by the Heartless and knocked out, Roxas figured. It was unsettling seeing someone who looked so much like him, even more so than Sora. He should've looked in pain or even scared, but he looked rather peaceful, like he'd just laid down to take a nap. Roxas shook his head. This definitely had to be one of Sora's friends; only someone like him could take a nap in the middle of a battlefield.

There were still no Heartless popping up, so Roxas decided to examine the boy further. He carefully flipped him onto his other side, that way he wouldn't be breathing in the puddles of water on the ground. Roxas frowned. He had no responsibility for this kid, he didn't even know his name, and yet he felt like he needed to do something to protect him, at least from the weather.

The blonde Nobody looked over his shoulder. Still no Heartless, and no one from the hero side or the Organization coming down after him. It was probably only a matter of time before Kairi caught up to the others and let them know about their fallen comrade. He couldn't stick around here. He had to lead the Heartless somewhere else.

Bracing himself, Roxas hooked one of the boy's arms over his own shoulder and heaved him off the ground. For such a small person, he was pretty heavy. Half-carrying and half-dragging the other boy, Roxas moved him off to the side of the ravine under an overhang. The rain splattered onto them even under the rock's cover, but it was better than sitting in the middle of the downpour.

As he attempted to set the sleeping boy down, something dug into Roxas's shoulder, making him hiss in pain and nearly drop the other. He caught him and managed to set him down somewhat softly, but then stepped back to figure out what had cut him. Looking the boy over, he saw something he hadn't noticed before: a strange piece of equipment attached to the boy's shoulder. The edge of it looked rather sharp, and he supposed that was what had cut him. But what was it?

Looking around again and sure that there wasn't anyone coming their way, Roxas bent over and unclipped the armor from the boy's arm. Lightning flashed in the sky and a loud clap of thunder made him jump, making him practically drop the equipment. He looked back down at the other boy.

"Hold this," Roxas muttered to the unconscious youth, then unzipped his coat and dropped it over him. The clothing he wore beneath his cloak was almost identical to the other boy's, but that hadn't been his reasoning in changing his outerwear. Instead, he attempted to attach the armor to his own sleeve now that the obnoxiously large and baggy cloak was off of him.

It slipped on rather easily and Roxas couldn't help but chuckle to himself. This seemed stupid. What was this measly thing supposed to protect? If anything it would assist in dislocating one's shoulder. It wasn't heavy by any means, but it stuck out at such a strange angle that it had to get in the way sometimes. Maybe the other boy was used to it.

Roxas went to grab the armor and take it off to return it, but instead of slipping off, his thumb found an impression and part of the armor sunk in, like a button. There was a flash of light and Roxas let out a surprised yelp as he clamped his eyes shut. At once, his body felt heavier, and something was wrapped around his head. Panicking, he wrenched his eyes open to find a visor in front of them. He looked at his arms and what he could see of his body and found that it was covered in sturdy armor.

Now the thing on the boy's shoulder was seeming a little more practical. Roxas took a few hesitant steps, listening to the clanking of his new boots as he walked around. Tentatively, he punched at his arm, not surprised he couldn't feel a thing. He looked back down at the boy. Why hadn't he been wearing this when he was fighting off those Heartless? Had they been ambushed? Or was he just as dense as Sora? Roxas chuckled to himself at his joke. Probably.

There was a murmur in the air and the atmosphere changed. In the pit of his stomach, Roxas felt something coming, something big. As long as it was a Heartless, he didn't care, and he was sure that the other boy wouldn't mind him borrowing his armor for one little battle.

Summoning up his Keyblade, he scanned the area for whatever it was that he'd sensed. Just as he was about to give up and decide he was just imagining things, he looked up. A very large, dragon-like Heartless swooped down at him just then, and he barely had time to duck out of the way.

"A Dustflier!?" he exclaimed, gritting his teeth. One of the toughest Heartless known to the Organization. He'd had to tackle these things before, and every time he'd almost come out a loser. It was probably too soon after him reawakening to take on such a monster, but Saïx's voice echoed in his mind. He knew how many hearts this Heartless contained, and to return without taking it out, Saïx would never let him live it down. Besides, Zexion and Axel weren't too far up ahead. He was sure whatever skirmish they were in with the heroes would be over soon, and then they could come to help. The three of them would be able to take it out no problem.

The Dustflier spun around and charged at Roxas again, which he was easily able to sidestep. He heard it make a guttural growl and it turned to him again, this time flying upward before landing hard in front of him. The ground shook beneath Roxas's feet and caused him to stumble forward, but he managed to catch himself in time to parry a slash from the monster's tail. The Heartless seemed taken aback at the boy fighting with him, giving Roxas enough time to leap into the air and land a few strikes on its rock-hard back.

Roxas continued this volley of dodging, parrying, and attacking as the Dustflier continued to try to flatten him. It seemed to be ignoring the other boy completely, which was fine with him. He didn't have time to be worrying about an unconscious dummy, as it was. The Dustflier was well aware that Roxas was the threat to take out, and it was doing its best to do exactly that, and was almost successful.

Roxas was knocked around quite a few times, but each was mostly a glancing blow, and the armor nullified it for the most part. Honestly, the worst part of this creature was that it was wearing him down, and he didn't think that he was tiring it out in turn. He wanted to take his time with it, knowing there was no other way to beat it, and buying time for the others to join him as well. However, he was already tired from the many Heartless he had already slain, and this was not a good first mission for him to go on. He hadn't warmed up at all since reawakening just a few days ago. He definitely wasn't up to a challenge as great as this.

Growing tired of playing around with the monster, Roxas grasped his Keyblade with both hands and let the light within him flow into his weapon. The blade began to shine and Roxas jumped back to avoid the shaking of the ground as the Dustflier landed. Pulling back his Keyblade, he let out a savage cry and dashed forward, the light expanding past the bounds of his sword and slamming into the Heartless's body. It recoiled and stumbled back, allowing Roxas to land hit after hit, each burning away the darkness the Heartless held.

Jumping back, Roxas let the light free from within him, pillars of its radiant power bursting forth and knocking the Dustflier away. When all the light was gone, he fell to his knee, panting. He shouldn't have done that. That had taken way too much energy, and he knew his opponent wasn't going to give him enough time to recover before returning the barrage of attacks. Using the Keyblade as a crutch, he forced himself to his feet, shaking hard.

The Dustflier fluttered its wings and shook its head, coming out of the stupor Roxas's strikes had caused. The Nobody groaned, half-hoping it would have at least given up and flown away, but it probably wasn't even halfway defeated. It looked too alert for that. It took every ounce of strength he had left just to lift the Keyblade.

 _Come on, Axel_ , he thought angrily. _You guys can't still be messing with Sora, can you? I need your help!_

The Dustflier sailed forward, bringing its feet in front of it for a mighty kick. Roxas braced himself behind his Keyblade, held in front of him defensively, but it made no difference. The Heartless knocked him back with ease, throwing him onto his back and sending him rolling over the dirt. Again he was thankful for the armor, which prevented him from being scratched up or seriously injured. The blow had knocked the wind from him, though, and was making it difficult to stand up again.

He had only managed to get to a knee when the Dustflier flew by again, this time whacking up his front side with its tail. His head spun as he went airborne, and the next thing he knew was his body crashing into the ravine wall. He fell forward, landing in a heap, and there was the sound of light shimmering as his Keyblade disappeared beside him. He tensed his arms and tried to push up, but he couldn't budge. His breathing became shallow and any consciousness he was still grasping to was slipping away quickly.

The Dustflier was approaching him again – he could hear the shuttering flaps of its fleshy wings – but he could do nothing against it. He had hoped to hold it off at best, not get erased by it. He heard voices, distant and garbled like he was underwater, and he fell unconscious before he could feel the inevitable weight of the Dustflier crushing down on him.

The first thing Ventus became aware of was how soft the sheets he was swaddled in felt, and how warm the bed was. A small smile pulled on his mouth and he nestled into his bed more firmly, cozy and comfortable. Soon, he would hear either Terra or Aqua laugh at him for being lazy and chide him to get out of bed. There was still plenty to be done with Sora, Kairi, and Riku. His smile faded some, trying to remember what he had been doing before he fell asleep. He remembered flying to Radiant Garden…

He shuddered slightly, remembering the Heartless and the heavy rain that had chilled him to the bone. He pulled the covers up even further, to his chin.

"Finally, you're waking up."

Ven heard the voice, but he couldn't identify who it was. They probably weren't talking to him. He wasn't waking up at all; in fact, he wanted to go back to sleep. This bed was so warm.

"Roxas, come on, you're freaking me out a little bit."

Roxas… that was a name he'd heard before, but he couldn't exactly remember where. He was sure Sora had talked about it when he was explaining his journey, but there were a lot of names in that story Ven wasn't familiar with. How could he be expected to remember all of them?

"Hey… Roxas!"

This time, Ven was jostled and nearly rolled out of the bed. He sat bolt upright, a mistake as his head stung. He grabbed his forehead and moaned, clamping his eyes closed again. However, in that short millisecond he had seen his surroundings, they hadn't been his room at the Mysterious Tower. It took him a moment longer to process that, still recovering from his head pounding and threatening to break free of his skull.

"Axel, you shouldn't push him out of bed like that."

There was another voice, somewhat familiar, and more feminine.

"Xion! You were supposed to stay in the hallway until I cued you!"

"I'm not going to let you push Roxas out of bed and knock him out again before I get to see him."

Xion? Axel? Who were those people? And why was the room he'd been in a blinding white? There wasn't any white in the Mysterious Tower, and now that he thought about it, the beds hadn't felt like this either. Everything was different, and even the scent of the room was stale, not like the musty smell of books and magic he was used to.

Slowly, Ventus opened his eyes. The room was perfectly square and devoid of anything interesting to look at. There were no books piled so high they were falling on top of each other, no desks filled with strange artifacts he wasn't allowed to touch. The window showed a world of black outside with a tiny moon forming on the horizon.

Most puzzling of all were the two people he found standing beside him. One was very tall and lanky, with limbs thinner than even his own. Atop his head was something that looked more like fire than hair, and his sharp green eyes shined at him expectantly. Beside him was a much shorter person, who Ven would've mistaken for Kairi if she hadn't had short, black hair. She looked much less excited than the man; she almost looked concerned. They both wore long, black coats he knew he'd been told about before, but he couldn't place them at the moment.

"About time you focused, Roxas," the tall man said, waving a hand dismissively. "Like I said, you had me pretending I was worried for a while. You were out pretty hard. Good thing I found you in that ravine after the good guys took down that Dustflier."

All of these words were very foreign to him. He just stared blankly at the pair, trying to figure out how best to ask where he was without freaking them out.

"Axel…" the girl said, stepping forward and looking at Ven closely. "I… This isn't Roxas."

"What are you talking about?" Axel said irritably, also taking a closer look. "Of course this is Roxas! I wouldn't just—"

He cut himself short. When his eyes met with Ven's, something seemed to click in his expression. He went from looking relaxed to much more lost.

Ven cracked a shallow smile and backed up on the bed as much as he could.

"Uh… hi," he grinned, unsure. "Um… I don't know who this Roxas is, but I'm Ventus. Ven for short. Uh… nice to meet you?"

Axel backed away very quickly, then slammed his palms into his forehead.

"What happened to Roxas!?" he asked, mostly to himself. The girl, Xion, bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers.

"To be fair, he _does_ look just like Roxas," she said. "And you said he was knocked out when you found him, right?"

"What were you doing wearing Roxas's coat!?" Axel demanded, turning on Ven quickly.

"I… What?"

Ventus looked down at himself. Sure enough, he wasn't wearing his normal clothes at all. He was wearing a cloak just the same as Axel and Xion. He certainly didn't remember putting it on.

"I didn't do this!" he argued. "I just remember passing out, really! I don't even know a Roxas."

"Axel, I don't think this is his fault," Xion cut in. "I think we made a mistake somewhere."

"Yeah, but then where's the real Roxas?" Axel grumbled. "I knew Zexion making duplicates was a bad idea…"

"I'm not a duplicate," Ven interjected. "I'm Ventus. I'm friends with Sora and Riku, and Aqua and Terra, and Kairi, too."

"Oh great," Axel muttered. "So we grabbed a hero. They are _not_ going to be happy about this."

"I'm sure they'll understand," Ven said, gaining confidence. He slid to the end of the bed and hung his legs over the side. "Sora's the nicest guy I've ever met, and I bet Aqua and Terra will just be happy to see me again. Oh, where are we, anyway?"

"Ventus, I don't think things are going to be that simple," Xion answered. "You see, we're in the World That Never Was, headquarters of Organization XIII."

Those names clicked. He remembered distinctly hearing about Organization XIII, the group of Nobodies that tried to build their own Kingdom Hearts for their leader, Xemnas, to gain a heart and bring back his other half, Xehanort. Ven shuddered and just as quickly as he'd warmed up to the two, he cooled off.

"But Organization XIII… are bad guys," Ven said.

"No, now that's not completely true," Axel replied. "Some of us are, yeah, bad guys. But then some of us just want hearts. It's not that bad."

"Most of the bad guys are gone this time around," Xion explained. "Xemnas was the real bad guy. He wanted to use Kingdom Hearts for himself to do awful things. But now that he and Xigbar are gone, Saïx is in charge. All he wants is to get hearts for all the members who need one."

"That doesn't mean he'll take kindly to you being here," Axel continued darkly. "You see, Roxas was an important part of our team. He has a Keyblade, the only weapon capable of releasing the hearts inside of the Heartless. Those captured hearts would come here and start to form Kingdom Hearts, the only place we're gonna be able to go in and find the hearts that rightfully belong to us."

"And more importantly, Roxas is our friend," Xion said. "He was there for me and Axel when everyone else had turned their backs on us. He's always trying to do the right thing."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Ven replied. He hung his head and thought. These people could be lying to him, he realized. Sora had said Organization XIII were the bad guys in one of his journeys. However, he did remember him mentioning an Axel, and from the way he'd been described, it sounded like he had really helped them out.

"Wait, is Roxas… Sora's Nobody?" he asked after a length. He seemed to remember hearing something like that.

"That's right," Axel answered.

"That's what makes him so special," Xion elaborated. "Even though he could never have a heart of his own, he still wants to help everyone else get theirs. It's how I feel about it too. As long as Axel can get his own heart, then I don't care if I have to defeat thousands of Heartless."

"You can wield a Keyblade, too?" Ven questioned.

"Yes. That's thanks to Roxas as well. I was supposed to be a duplicate of him, a replica. Something went wrong along the way and I became my own person, and my creators even brought me back to help the Organization again. They promised me that if I help, once Kingdom Hearts is complete and everyone has hearts, I can leave along with Roxas and Axel, and we can live the lives we never had a chance to before."

Ven lowered his head again. If Xion and Roxas were so selfless to help their friends, they couldn't be bad guys. In his experiences, bad guys didn't know what friendship was, but these two at least seemed to have a good idea of what it was. He knew Axel was only being short with him because he wasn't Roxas, and he couldn't blame him. If his best friend had gone missing and he thought he'd found him, only to find out that it wasn't his friend at all, he'd be pretty upset. He knew how hard it was to lose a friend.

"So… how come I can't just leave and help you guys find Roxas?" he asked.

"Saïx would find out, and he wouldn't be too happy about you being here at all," Axel repeated. "As far as he's concerned, your baggage."

"That's not true. Check this out!"

Ven raised his hand in front of him and Wayward Wind materialized into his hand, causing both Axel and Xion to jump back.

"A Keyblade?!" Axel exclaimed.

"That's right!" Ven nodded. "I'm a Keyblade wielder too! That means any Heartless I take out will go to Kingdom Hearts, too, right?"

"That's a good point," Xion said, thinking. "But Saïx still won't be happy you're not Roxas. And with the run-in the Organization just had with Sora's friends, I don't think he'd be willing to just let you walk away."

"That's right," Axel agreed. "From the way he was talking, he's looking for anything to lord over them to convince them to let us release hearts in peace. From the sound of it, he'd be willing to make you a hostage, using your well-being as a way to keep Sora and his friends out of our way."

Ven fell quiet. So there were definitely bad guys in this group. He would have to look out for those.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

"Well, if I had to guess, I would think that Sora and his friends made the same mistake we did," Axel began.

"And what might that mistake be, Axel?"

The three turned when they heard another voice come from the doorway. Standing there was another man, an X scratched across his face. He had long blue hair and had a very grumpy expression. Ven guessed this had to be Saïx.

"Oh uh… you know… almost getting run over by that Dustflier," Axel lied quickly. "You know, we're lucky we got out of there still holding on to our existence!"

"You're also lucky you chose to let the Keyblade wielders eliminate it, or we would have lost all of those hearts it contained thanks to Roxas's carelessness." Saïx's eyes fell directly on Ven, who just managed to look confused. "I expect you are ready to return to your work."

Ven fumbled over his words for a few seconds, trying to figure out how he should respond. Luckily, Xion did it for him.

"He just woke up," Xion explained. "He needs some more time to rest, or he'll just collapse again—"

"He can tell me that for himself," Saïx interrupted. "Besides, he's already caused enough problems nearly losing that Heartless. He needs to make up for his lackluster performance."

Ven swallowed hard, trying to not look as worried as he felt. He saw the hardened expressions Axel and Xion were giving Saïx, and did his best to mimic them. Saïx did not look amused.

"I will give him until this afternoon," Saïx decided. "Then he will go on a mission as I see fit. See to it that he is rested and ready to go."

"And let me guess… we're not allowed to go with him?" Axel said bitterly.

"You're catching on," Saïx replied, and the door closed in front of him.

There was silence for a few moments longer as the three waited to be sure Saïx was out of earshot.

"Nice guy," Ven commented.

"You're lucky he didn't realize you weren't Roxas," Axel reminded him. "That _was_ Saïx being nice. Usually he'd send you on another mission right away."

"You mean he'd send Roxas on another mission right away," Xion corrected. "Either way, I think we should be careful. I think he knows something is up. But he's not going to send Ven alone, either."

"What am I supposed to do on these missions anyway?" Ven asked.

"Basically, defeat Heartless," Axel answered simply. "You can handle that, can't you?"

"I mean, I'm not really used to fighting them," he admitted. "But I can do my best. After all, I have a Keyblade."

"One that doesn't look like Roxas's," Xion muttered. "What do we do about that?"

"You'll just have to use your Keyblade when other members aren't around," Axel concluded. "Defeat Heartless, the ones with the emblems on them, and keep your Keyblade out of sight."

"What about everything else I'm supposed to know?"

"We'll give you a crash course," Xion answered. "There's a lot to cover and not a lot of time."

"Come with me, I'll summon up some Dusks for you to practice on, _out_ of Saïx's view."

Ven nodded, but the knot in his throat wouldn't go away. He was walking a very thin line, he could tell, and one mess up could land him and the others in a lot of trouble. But for now, he had to consider himself a member of Organization XIII, call himself Roxas, and pretend like he knew what was going on.


End file.
